#i’m so proud of the rift idea

[wren-kitchens]

all that matters (p2)

inspired by @fire-to-embers ‘s reblog of my last rancher duo ficlet (I forgot to give it a title lol-)

I thought it was such an amazing idea, I just had to do it

the moment jimmy opened his eyes and found himself back in the mesa, he knew he had to find tango again.

he’s spent two days holed up in his house, only leaving to feed the animals, researching ways to travel across worlds. eventually, he found a way to use the portal technology to travel across worlds— thanks to the local archeologist, pixlriffs.

he’d been studying portals for a little while as a hobby (a hobby??) and apparently heard about jimmy’s research and decided to help.

so now jimmy has most of the materials he thinks he needs. he doesn’t know where it’s going to open— he just knows it’ll be where tango is. he has the blackstone, the diamonds, the soil for the soul fire, but he’s missing the final thing: a skulk catalyst.

no way is he going into the deep dark— him dying wouldn’t do anyone any good— so he travels to the man he has heard is the collector of the server. surely he’d have one.

“i’m sorry, you want a what?” scott says, hands on hips and looking slightly distastefully at jimmy’s clothes (which he hasn’t changed out of since his reappearance in the mesa).

“look, I know.” jimmy pleads. “but I really need one. I don’t know who else to go to.”

“why would you need something like that?” scott asks. “are you making a farm or something? ‘cause in that case you should talk to pixl about that-“

“no, it’s not a farm.” jimmy says. how is he gonna explain this? “it’s.. a portal. but not to another dimension. to another world.”

scott blinks. “you lost me.”

jimmy exhales, hoping the memory barriers between worlds aren’t as strong as they seem. “i’m looking for tango.” he says.

for a moment, he thinks scott doesn’t remember. then his face shifts from a blank expression to one of understanding. “oh. you mean-“

“yes.” jimmy cuts him off, not wanting to hear it. “yes and I need the catalyst to finish the portal. do you have one?”

“i can get one.” scott says. “for a price. what do you have?”

jimmy knew this was coming, so he pulls out the bundle of all his remaining diamonds. the ones for the portal are at his base. “all of these.” he says, watching the look of surprise and greed flash in scott’s eyes. “for one catalyst. and I need it soon.”

“done.” scott reaches for the diamonds, but jimmy pulls them away.

“after you get me it.” he says.

scott shoots him a scowl. “fine. give me a day.”

“a day?” jimmy exclaims.

“well i’d prefer not to be killed by the warden.” scott says. “i’ll set off now, how ‘bout that?”

“deal.” jimmy says resentfully.

he gets back onto his horse as scott gets his armour sorted and rides back to tumble town. he could use the extra time to make the portal, he supposes.

—-

tango is frantic. he cannot find any way to bypass the boundaries of the world. doc is too busy with his farms to pay any attention to him, and he can’t even get to ren, what with his new bodyguard bdubs.

he’s been trying to find something, anything that might get him through the borders of their world, when he stumbles across the Entity.

of course: grian would know. how had he not thought of that before? he created the life games, and the Entity, he knows this kind of stuff.

he grabs his elytra and flies as fast as he can to grian’s base.

“grian!” he yells as he lands. “grian where are-“ he cuts himself off with a scream, as when he steps into grian’s base, a chorus of ear-piercing shrieks go off. shriekers.

“yes!” grian laughs, punching the air. “that’s two for two!”

“oh god, what even is that?” tango asks, hand on his chest.

“oh, like, fifteen shriekers and a skulk sensor.” grian says, not moving from where he stands. “I got impulse so good with that the other day.”

“jesus.” tango breathes. “I can sympathise with him. can we talk outside? that is terrifying.”

grian grins. “sure.” he walks over to the door, setting off the shriekers again.

tango groans, clapping his hands over his ears and following softly behind until they’re out of range. “you’re incredibly annoying.”

“yes.” grian nods. “so what did you want?”

“okay, this is gonna sound weird.” tango says. “but do you know a place where you could.. I don’t know, travel to different worlds?”

grian stares at him for a second, and tango thinks he’s confused until he says, “dude I literally have one under my house.”

“you what?!” tango exclaims.

“why do you think my base can float?” grian says. he extends his wings and walks off the bridge. “c’mon!” he calls, flying down.

tango follows, gliding down after him. they come to a stop in front of a massive hole. it’s surrounded by a rock formation that is oddly familiar.

“it’s down here.” grian gestures towards the pit. “it can get kind of.. weird down there.” he warns. “stuff’s been..” he shakes his head. “it’s just weird. cool, but weird.”

tango isn’t sure if he wants to know what grian means— or if he wants to go down there at all — but it’s his only way of reaching jimmy.

“okay.” tango says after a moment.

grian looks at him, a slight frown on his face. “I think i know what this is about.”

a surge of panic rushes through tango. will grian let him go through with this? is this even allowed in the life games?

“please, i’ve gotta-“ tango starts, but grian waves his pleas away.

“i’m not gonna stop you.” he says, giving tango a grin. “i know you two got close in the games.” the way he says it makes tango’s face flush.

“yeah, well.” tango says, embarrassed. “I just- I don’t know what i’m gonna do if this doesn’t work.”

“I can help you.” grian offers. “i’ve been trying to figure out this kind of thing for a little while, and I think I know parts of how it works.”

tango starts to say something, when a loud noise cuts him off from the pit.

grian peers down. “we should check that out.” he says.

they fly down there. it’s a massive cavern, mostly lit up, with an enormous purple crack in one of the walls. it keeps shifting colours, one second blue, another pink, but overall it’s akin to enderman eyes.

“that’s.. odd.” grian is staring at the rift. “it only does this when something’s being..” his eyes widen. “oh.”

“‘oh’?” tango turns on him. “what do you mean ‘oh’?! what’s it doing?!”

grian’s eyes are fixed on something in the rift. tango follows his gaze and sees a dark blob in the mixing mass of purple.

“grian,” tango repeats, staring at the blob. it looks like it’s getting closer, and as it does, it becomes more clear. it’s a figure— a human figure. “what is it doing.”

“it only does this..” grian says slowly. “when it’s transporting something. or.. someone.”

just as the figure breaks the surface of the rift, both of their communicators buzz in unison.

<solidaritygaming joined the game>

tango doesn’t know who moves first. they both run to each other, crashing together in a messy hug. there’s water on tango’s face, and he doesn’t know if he’s crying, if jimmy is or if it’s both of them, but it doesn’t matter. it doesn’t matter because jimmy is here, and he isn’t leaving any time soon.

they don’t know how long passes. it could be seconds, it could be hours that they’re in the embrace. they don’t care.

tango’s face is in jimmy’s hair (is it longer?) breathing him in.

“i’ve missed you so much.” tango says.

jimmy doesn’t say anything, but holds him closer.

“i’m not going anywhere.” tango mutters into jimmy’s hair. “not again.”

“oh, god.” jimmy’s voice is hoarse. “tango.” the way jimmy says it, it’s a complete sentence. just him.

“i’m right here.” tango says. “right here.”

jimmy pulls away after a moment, taking tango in. he looks different— his hair shoulder length now, and dressed like a cowboy. there’s something that looks like skulk smeared on his face, and there’s a couple of cuts and bruises on his arms, but he looks positively ecstatic.

“you- you look different.” jimmy traces a hand down tango’s face. he might melt.

“so do you.” tango smiles. “always knew you’d be a cowboy.”

“were you inspired by the rancher?” jimmy says, fingering the skulk in his hair.

“were you?” tango chuckles.

“well, how’d you think I made the portal here?” he grins. “our local archeologist helped me out a bit. scott got the skulk though.”

“scott?” tango asks. “he doesn’t seem like the kind to go searching in the deep dark.”

“well, I payed him the rest of my diamonds.” jimmy says, but he’s not focusing on his words. a smile slips onto his lips. “I almost forgot how beautiful you are.”

tango feels his face flush. “can I kiss you yet?” he says. “I really wanna kiss you.”

jimmy laughs. “now why would I ever say no to that?”

tango leans towards him and their lips meet. jimmy pulls tango closer, running a hand through his hair, the other on his waist. tango is holding jimmy’s face in his hands. he smiles into the kiss when he feels jimmy’s wings around him, soft as ever (if slightly unkempt).

they’d later thank grian profusely for having the rift so open, and tango would explore the world jimmy came from. they’d get doc to set up inter-world communication, and the life game players would be incredibly surprised to find joel standing at 11” tall, scott in his colourful attire and lizzie as.. whatever she was.

later, there would be frequent correspondence between the two worlds, with raw material exports from hermitcraft and odd ‘magic’ items from the empires. (no one would know if these items were magic for sure, but they seemed to work as advertised and were interesting to run tests on.)

but that is for later. for the time being, tango and jimmy are back together and that is all that matters for them.

#i’m joining the war of tall joel on the side of tall joel #i’m so proud of the rift idea #rancher duo #trafficshipping #double life ficlet #empires smp ficlet #ig hermitcraft #team rancher #ranch duo

[bby-deerling]

elysium (zoro x fem!reader)

fluffiest of the fluff! you and zoro get lost on his birthday wc: 975 this is so self indulgent

Sweet lavender haze settled quietly in the clearing, overgrown with tiny wildflowers.  The soft midday sun on the spring island you had stopped at for supplies was partially covered by clouds, its warmth broken up by gentle gusts of breeze.  A pair of arms holds you close, back pressed against a hard chest, preventing the wind from dusting a light chill on your upper arms.  The fresh spring growth is as naïve and new as your steps past a mere friendship, and as green as his mossy hair.

You both had no idea where you were or how you had gotten there.

Zoro always appreciated the way you never teased him for his lack of direction; it was out of respect and understanding on your part, but deep down it amused him that your internal compass was almost as offset as his.  The rest of the crew saw him getting lost as something ranging from an annoyance to a burden, but you never seemed to mind.  At times you would even drag him further away from your intended course, eager to drink in the sensations of your unfamiliar surroundings.  Tiny quiet ponds, tidal pools hidden behind perilous crags of rocks, and peaceful, open clearings like this one were secret rifts in the fabric of reality where time seemingly stopped; he held these moments close to his heart.

“Looks pretty.” he says as he presses a kiss to your cheek, voice still carrying the weight of sleep.  You hum a quiet thanks in return, engrossed in your work, but still flushing pink at his praise.  A colorful landscape painting of the field in front of you sits, nearly finished, in the pochade box on your lap; he’s impressed that your brushstrokes hadn’t suffered despite him restricting the movement of your arms somewhat as he held you.

He leans forward and watches the side of your face with a soft, sleepy smile as you squint, concentrating on adding the finishing highlights, trying to capture the warm glow of the sun.  The adorable and slightly eccentric way you scrunched your nose and bit the inside of your cheeks when you were focused was just so fun for him to watch, just as you were intoxicated by the determined look in his eyes when he trained. 

Laying back against the tree trunk that served as his bed just moments ago, he admires the flow of your hair in the wind and lifts a bottle of sake to his lips.  The clear liquor is expensive, rich, and smooth—you had borrowed a fortune from Nami to gift it to him.  Licking his lips and setting it down, he almost feels guilty that the bottle is already nearly empty.

As you clean your brushes and wipe the paint from your palette, Zoro absentmindedly starts picking flowers in reach and placing them in your hair.  By the time you start to pack up your box of supplies, he’s turned you into a sight to rival the field in front of you, a rainbow of petals tangled in your thick hair, at one time straight but turned wild and wavy with the mist of the sea.  As you turn around in his lap to show him the finished piece, he nearly forgets to look, completely captivated by the excitement in your eyes; when his eyes drop to examine your work, his chest brims with pride.  Decisive, impressionistic brushstrokes captured not just the physical but the emotional.  One of your best.

“I’m so proud of you.” he says, unable to hide the grin on his face.  In these quiet moments alone with you, he finds it easier to display his emotions without the shame of being vulnerable; he is also appreciative of the way you effortlessly can read his face during all the other times when he finds himself incapable of peeling back his shell.

He listens intently as you walk him through your process, analyzing your metaphorical leaps forward and steps back, just as you do when he informs you on the outcomes of his workouts; this was your training, and your discipline to your dream enrooted you into his heart on a visceral level.  When you finally finish, he offers you the last swig of sake from the bottle.

“You’ve earned this.” he says, watching as you eagerly tip the bottle into your mouth, making sure you swallow every last drop.  By the time the bottle is placed to the side, his lips are on yours, chasing the taste of liquor, and melting into your soft but passionate touch. 

Pulling away to glimpse the dreamy look on your face leaves him breathless.  Sun illuminating your wispy stray strands of hair, petals scattered in your hair, and barely-there freckles dusting your cheeks from too many naps in the sun, you’re a goddess of spring through and through.  Worn, stamped patchwork pants straddle his thighs as he cups your cheek.

“I love you, Zoro.”

Though you often expressed your emotions through gentle looks and unspoken touches, it’s the first time it’s been spoken aloud.

“I love you too.”

He’s a demon basking in the glory of being bathed in light.  Despite your divine appearance, you require no sacrifice of him, no rituals of humiliation—only a piece of his heart.

He gives it over to you whole.

In return he only asks that you stay by his side, following him to the Underworld and sacrificing your chance at salvation to walk through hell with him.

You take the lead, tugging on his hand as you stumble through the fire licking at your feet.

As Zoro begins a new turn around the sun, he counts the amount of times he’s shared sake with you and prays that twelve sinful sips are enough to keep you in his clutches for all his years to come.

#one piece x reader #zoro x reader #x reader #roronoa zoro x reader #zoro x you #roronoa zoro x you #zoro x y/n #who needs therapy when you have blorbos #god i love him #hades and persephone dynamic but make it cute

[thatoneluckybee]

School Bus Graveyard Episode 61 Thoughts

Okay thoughts time cause HU!HG?!?Q>?

The logo was altered!! Not by much but I love the detail that some falling rubble was covering the edges of the logo at the beginning of the episode.

Ben holding/protecting Tyler under the (table? desk?) is everything to me. Ben Clark is a golden retriever in all the best ways. I am dealing with the after effects of the Ben Fever we all got a few weeks ago.

Same goes for Taylor protecting Ashlyn! It’s so cute and Taylor has been coming in CLUTCH lately. I’m so excited for this development with her after Tyler’s injury. I just hope she’s able to target her (rightful) anger at the right people and not at the rest of the group. (Also ASHLYN CRYING BABY NO)

“Wanna Know How I Got These Scars?” Aiden, no, we do not, put your eyes back in please. (Also—I LOVE the shading and dramatic effects on this panel.)

Okay, the parents are DEFINITELY being affected by the rift and Phantom Dimension. Mike was dizzy when the kids all came back!! And I love how responsible both of Ashlyn’s parents (as well as everyone else so far) are being—Immediately jumping in to help when it sounds like someone is in trouble. I just hope this serves as a wake-up call for Aiden’s mom and dad.

We’ve seen Ashlyn scared before but… holy cow I don’t think she’s been pictured as this terrified before. And rightfully so! I want to give her a hug and a chocolate milk. Also, I adore how Logan immediately noticed and rushed to help. He’s really grown in his emotional maturity over the series and I’m loving the payoff.

Yes, honey, you are becoming phantoms. Is this confirmation of the theory? I’ll take it as confirmation of the theory.

…The parallels between the earlier panel of Tyler “waking up” vs Aiden now is…. oh my. And the altered text was DEEPLY disturbing. But I had to try not to laugh at imagining what he sounds like right now. Probably like he’s a 40 year old man who’s smoked a six-pack ev’ry night since way back when.

LILY BABY NooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO and Aiden IMMEDIATELY being concerned about Ashlyn is everything. In all honestly the ship concerned me at the beginning but I am ALL ABOARD and ready to set sail now. They both have grown so much and while it would have been iffy at the start it’s becoming a really sweet and wholesome relationship, regardless of whether it stays platonic or divulges into romance.

The flashbacks were INSANE. But also, let’s take a moment seeing these to appreciate HOW MUCH THE ART HAS IMPROVED!!! Supersupersuper proud of Red and her entire team. This was like a short montage of the growth and I love that so much. Also…. could this potentially count as an “oh” moment for Ashlyn?? And the immediate jump afterwards to Aiden’s maybe-dead-maybe-not body was such incredibly timed and perfected formatted whiplash!!!!!

Ashlyn initiating the contact was huge for her. We know she isn’t a fan of touchy-feely stuff or close contact so this is big. I thing there was a “some people are worth being uncomfortable for” comic with the BTW and TBH creature that sums up my thoughts on this? But yeah, I loved this. She’s growing more comfortable AND this was entirely respectful of her boundaries while also allowing her to push past her comfort zone? Amazing.

”So this is what it feels like” uhhhhhhhh I need a seperate ramble post for this cause I don’t want to trigger tag this one and have it filtered but I have… a lot to say. Very relatable and makes me appreciate these characters more. I love how this whole short scene was pulled off though. Definitely a lot of emotions for this one, I had to pause for a moment to process.

“I don’t like how much she’s shaking” MY HEART

Aaaaand THANK YOU RED FOR ANOTHER AMAZING EPISODE!!! I’ve got so many longer thoughts and theories and ideas and rambels and AUGHHHHHHH I can’t fit them all!!!

#school bus graveyard #sbg #rambles #logan fields #ashlyn banner #aiden clark #ben clark #taylor hernandez #tyler hernandez #ashden #aidlyn

[fandom-chic]

The Time We Lost: Chapter 4

Summary: 40 years have passed since you saw Soldier Boy. Yet here he was at your door. With so many things having changed, will you two be able to withstand the modern world?

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Y/N

*JAMIE’S POV*

“Are you there yet?”

“Yeah, I just got to 5th and 81st; how long will I be waiting here?” Jamie says into the phone. The Manhattan crowds shove past him, acting as if a 6’3” wall of a man is not there. That is the main difference between Manhattan and Brooklyn, the number of people.

“Not long, Hughie, and I won’t take too much time.” Jamie could swear he heard Butcher’s lighter click on the other line. He shuddered at the idea of Billy’s plan, but it had to be done. After that day in the hospital, Jamie knew he had to take action into his own hands. His mother was dying. If there was a solution to this, he had to try and find it. 

The plan wasn’t too complicated. On the contrary, it was straightforward: save the family from the burning building. He did this daily at his job. He knew it would just be another day in the office; however, this felt different. Usually, he only took his own life into his hands, but today, his mother was counting on him. No pressure, right?

“Alright, just give me the signal when you’re ready.” Jamie heard a dark chuckle on the other line.

“Oh, you will definitely get a signal.” Jamie could swear he heard Butcher smirking on the other line. Fuck that guy. Jamie lightly kicked an empty soda can in frustration, watching it fly a little farther than he wanted it to. Sometimes he forgets his strength, but here he was, planning to show it to the world. Letting himself finally fall onto the path his father had followed.

That might be why his mother was so protective of him. Jamie leans against a bodega, watching the people walk by as he remembers that conversation with his mother all those years ago.

He was barely sixteen when he came home from school with a giant smirk. Y/N could not help but smile back at her son as he seemed to glide into the yard.

“Well, someone had a good day at school,” She says, shutting her book. “What’s got you smiling so much?”

“I did a really good thing today.” He sounded excited, overjoyed about what had happened that day.

“What may that be?” She says, trying to match his energy.

“You know that kid Martin? The one in my English class who gets the shit beat outta him every other day? Well, today, they got a taste of their own medicine.” Immediately, Y/N’s smile dropped. Jamie’s was still plastered on his face as he continued, “Mom, I think it’s time I make something of myself. I want to follow my dad’s footsteps and try out for Vought-” 

“No.” The thought had barely left his lips before Y/N shut him up. There was a beat before the inevitable question came up.

“Why not?” He asked.

“Jamie, we’ve talked about this. Being a full-time hero is extremely dangerous.” Y/N wanted to add the caveat that it’s what got his father killed, but Jamie already knew that.

“And that’s why I’d be so good at it! I’m basically indestructible.” He hits himself in the chest to prove to Y/N that he wasn’t stretching the truth.

“Jamie, it’s a no, and that’s final,” Y/N said, her voice cutting at the final syllable. Jamie takes a step toward his mother.

“Mom, it’s what I’m meant to do. I want to be like my dad. He was the greatest supe of all time, and I want to live up to him. I want to make him proud. Please?” Jamie was pleading, wishing with everything in his heart for this dream to come true. But it didn’t seem to be in the cards for him.

“How many times must I tell you that the answer is no? Do you want to wind up dead like your father? Do you want to make your loved ones constantly fear for your life? The answer better be no, or you’re no son of mine.” And at that, the conversation was truly over. Jamie could feel tears coming into his eyes as he ran past his mother into the house, slamming the front door behind him.

From that day forward, there was a rift between Jamie and Y/N. Things were said that couldn’t be unsaid. The day Jamie turned 18, he left home and kept to his mother's wishes but on his terms. That’s how he ended up becoming a firefighter. Still saving people, but he wasn’t a supe. Although, he was a hero by a technicality. 

Jamie sighed as he stared at the silhouette of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. True, Brooklyn was superior to Manhattan, but The MET truly was glorious. He took a deep breath then, focusing on what was about to happen any minute now. He looked away from The MET to the apartment building a block away. That building was the target. There were people in that building that he was going to save. This would be the day that things looked up for him. 

Almost as if on cue, Jamie heard an explosion erupt from the top story of the apartment complex. All heads shot to the building as screaming and running began. 

Showtime. 

Jamie ran against the grain of the foot traffic, taking massive strides toward the fire. He made it in no time at all. He stopped and looked up, taking in the situation. It was a relatively big fire, but it was controlled. Easy. When initially assessing this building with Billy and Hughie, they realized there were only four families in this medium-sized townhouse. He will have the families in and out within five minutes. 

Jamie’s sprint quickened as he approached the front door. It didn’t take much force to break it down. He almost flew inside as he went to the top floor. The door opened with ease as it was already half broken. Inside, a small child was cowering in his mother’s arms. Jamie approaches them.

“I’m here to save you!” He yells over the sound of flames smacking the walls. The woman nodded and gave her child to Jamie. Her little arms held on tight to him as the woman grabbed his arm. He knew she would only slow him down, so he scoops her onto his back. Once she is secured, he runs out of the apartment and the building. When he has returned outside, he notices that groups of people have started to form near the building, watching his heroism. All he could think about was how smoothly this was going. As if all the pieces were falling into place. 

That was until he heard a crack.

At this point, there was only one person left in the building. He could see her in the window as the flames seemed to sneak up behind her. Her tears were staining her cheeks as she watched his attention turn. There was another crack, this time louder. That was when the building began to fall. There was no way he would be able to make it inside. If he were to save the woman, the building would land on the people in the crowd. If he didn’t save the one woman… what was the point of all of this? He was stuck, and he had no way to get unstuck.

Well, he did have one. And that was when the building’s base cracked in half and fell. He couldn’t be stuck anymore. Suddenly, the weight of the world is on his back. Usually, objects weren’t heavy, almost like picking up stuffed animals, but this was different. He could feel himself falter under a new level of weight. Everything seemed to freeze as the building lay on his back, but his mind was racing. He had to put it down, or he would die. 

And that was when he took all the effort left in him to shout, “Move!” And the crowd parted like the Red Sea. That was the new home of the carcass of this building. Once it made a home on the rugged ground, he grabbed the woman from the building. It was over. He did it. And he managed to get the front page shot with the beautiful damsel in his arms, carrying her into safety.

It took less than a day for Vought to find him. He was back at the fire station, going through the motions of a typical day—just an average Joe Hero. The red-headed woman who entered had a flustered energy. One that immediately brought his attention to alert.

“You’re the Brownstone Hero, right?” She exclaims.

“I guess I am,” Jamie says, giving a knowing laugh.

“Ashley Barrett,” Her hand shoots out for him to shake, “Director of Talent Relations at Vought.” Vought. Perfect. He shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Ashley. I’m Jamie.” He let go of her hand, but she held on.

“Let’s cut the formalities,” That was when she pulled her hand away, “The Seven is in desperate need of a new member, and we want it to be you.” It was like taking candy from a baby.

“Wow,” Feigning shock was not difficult, “I can’t believe this is happening.” Ashley's smile was like a statue trying to break marble that had been there for thousands of years.

“Your interview is at 2:00 PM,” It was currently 9:00 AM. “Don’t be late.” And she was gone. 

It wasn’t long until Jamie found himself seated in front of a set of familiar faces. The Seven. They were exactly like he expected. He smiled to himself.

“And that is why we think you should join The Seven.” Jamie had not listened to a word Starlight had said. He knew he was a shoe-in. 

“This is all so exciting,” They are all eating his bullshit, “I don’t know what to say,” Almost all of them.

“Say yes, dude!” The Deep exclaimed.

“It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but I feel like there’s something you all should know,” Jamie looks over at Ashley as she stares daggers at him over her laptop. “And it may impact whether you want me or not.”

“What’s the fucking caveat?” Maeve said, crossing her arms.

“My dad is Solider Boy.” The whole room lit up, and he was signed. 

“Guess you’re the new Solider Boy!” Starlight says through a smile. They were all smiles, except one man. Jamie turned to see Homelander’s glare deepen. If only he knew what he had gotten himself into.

Taglist:

@nt-multi-fandom

@globetrotter28

@bowlegsandbiceps

@bronze-metal

@Minaxcarter

@diasnohibng

@xxemoluverxx

@lacilou

@Siospins2

@emily-roberts

@danart501

@shaggzthatsnottheworm

@aerangi

@calsjack

@floraroselaughter

#soldier boy x reader #soldier boy x you #soldier boy #soldier boy imagine #the boys #the boys fanfiction #soldier boy x female reader #soldier boy drabble #jensen ackles #jensen ackles x reader #the boy imagines #the boys x reader #the boys x you #jensen ackles the boys #soldier boy imagines #soldier boy headcanons #soldier boy x y/n #jensen ackles imagine #jensen x reader #jensen ackles imagines #fandom-chic

[imkillerbae]

Is it a metaphor? (Yoru Valorant x GN!Reader)

Words: 2k

CW: Fluff, Slowburn, Yoru a lil insecure bitch (for some reason I like to write him as insecure), Yoru gushing about how much he loves u, shitty writing

(A/N: Feel free to request anything im begging you i have 0 ideas what to write)

Summary: Despite being proud about his skills and his looks, Yoru is still insecure about his relationship with you. By sharing ice cream, he learns how to open up about his feelings. The reader calls it a metaphor but it’s actually a simile.

-----------------------

“Let me try it!”

“NO.”

Yoru swats your hand away, and you pull it back. Pouting, you pull your legs to your chest and glare. He glares back, his eyes as cold as the ice cream popsicle he held with his hand. He gives it a lick menacingly, marking his territory.

It was childish, truly. Fighting over ice cream. But for Yoru, this was more than just the cold treat. It was all about you, and if you’d accept him for who he was, flaws and all.

What led you here was a convenience store run. You were craving specific food from the convenience store (such as chips and instant onigiri), and you painstakingly convinced Yoru to use his motorcycle to get you both there.

“Why in the hell am I bringing the bike over for some craving you’ve got? Can’t we just walk a few blocks?”

“Nope. It’s been a while since you’ve taken it out of the garage! Let’s take it for a spin. And plus, didn’t you just change oil 2 days ago?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Cmon, pleaseeee? We won’t be long, I proomiseee.”

“Are your legs that really that weak for me? For fuck’s sakes, I’d rather carry you there myself than waste gas.”

“You’d rather carry me than I hold you? Cling to your very muscular back, your oh-so toned chest—”

“Alright alright! Shut up already. I’m taking it out,” he blushed but shook your hands off his chest as they teased him. Honestly, you wanted to go out on a date with him. It was a spontaneous idea, and if you both ever decide to go somewhere far, you’re gonna need the bike. But you didn’t lie; you liked clinging to him for dear life whenever he breaks the sound barrier at top speed. He’d never tell you, but he felt like such a man whenever you’d ride the bike with him. He’d sometimes poke on the breaks just to hear you scream and grab him harder.

Before you knew it, the bike was revving up eagerly, your boyfriend cruising cooly towards you. God damn, was it loud and proud. “Prrr, you look so sexy riding that bike honey,” you purr, and he smirks under his helmet. “If you wanted to ride this thing just because you wanted to see me drive it, our conversation earlier would’ve been shorter.”

You lift the helmet above his head so you could see his face properl­­­y. His smirk and raised brow made your heart leap. He was a very handsome guy. “Thanks honey,” you give him a peck on the lips, and his smirk widens. “You like what you see that much?” He ask, revving the bike louder, beckoning you to ride it. In response, you plunge the helmet back on his head, messing his hair up in the process. “As if, rift boy.”

He hands you the helmet as you board the bike, and automatically hold on to his broad chest, your cheek pressing against his jacket. Without warning, he speeds off, making you pull back in fright. It was a relatively short distance unfortunately.

You walked inside the convenience store for quite a while, Yoru making sure he held your hand tightly as you walked to prevent you from buying something you don’t need, such as an automatic fly swatter or anything from the toy section. His hands were usually cold, but you always warmed them up. It was one of the few small things he noticed about you.

When you’d get all the snacks that you wanted (and some eyeliner and hair gel for himself), you spotted him staring at the ice cream freezers. You stand beside him, eyeing as well. “Do you wanna get one for desert?” You ask him. “Take one for yourself. I already have mine.” He replies. In reality, he already knew what you were going to get, but he didn’t want to impose. You pout but grab a small solo tub of your ice cream of choice, tossing it into the cart.

“We going back now? Or are we eating all this somewhere else? Because there is no way in hell I’m sharing food with Grant,” he grumbles, leaning on the bike, scowling at the thought of Phoenix. He had a habit of third wheeling both of you, and while overtime he’d warmed up to the Protocol’s unofficial pretty boy, he didn’t like sharing your attention.

“Let’s sit by the sea barrier. It’s been a while, no?” You suggest, placing both hands on either side of him and leaning in. He doesn’t back away, but internally his heart skips a beat. He adored your face silently before nodding. “Beats having to see that idiot stuff his face with food I bought,” he grabs your waist to gently push you back, fitting the helmet back on your head. You looked so cute wearing anything that was his. Behind you, he gives your helmet covered head a kiss, blushing slightly. He was still shy about showing you his affection. But you felt it anyways, through his acts of service.

On his bike, you hug his waist as he sped through the streets. There was barely any traffic thankfully. And while you were behind him, enjoying the ride, his brain went auto-pilot. He couldn’t feel the resistance of wind, or hear the sound of the road. His thoughts were filled with you as you held him like this. He never was the type to commit to anyone, friends or lovers. He was always on the move, no room in his cold heart other than his own goals. Viper had once commented that if he didn’t let his walls down, he’d end up as miserable as he started after the high of his achievements. He was too narrow sighted.

When you came into his life, he never really paid you too much attention, as any new agent. But with every mission you went through together, with every near death experience, and even with every small interaction or long conversation, a void in his heart was increasingly getting filled. There was space for you there. He couldn’t believe there was someone out there that could make him feel so loved and important. He tried to deny it, so much so that you almost fought about it, but you held his heart and squeezed that confession out of him. And now here he was. With you.

If you asked him to leave everything behind to run away with you, he’d do it in a heartbeat. For you, he was ready to run. Wherever you were is where his heart wanted to be.

When you arrived, you yelp as he lifted you up in his arms from the bike. “Ryo!” You exclaimed, trying your best to keep the grocery bag safe. He only gives a smirk at you, adjusting. The sun was still up, the cool blue hue turning violet as the afternoon begins to shift into evening. Sitting you down on the edge of the sea barrier as the breeze hit your skin, you placed the bag between you and rummaged through it.

You both eat, talking about everything and anything under the sun, the waves spraying both of you occasionally. The sounds of the ocean were music as he’d tell you about his family, and you tell him yours. You gossip about the other agents, and he’d tell you all the past gossip before you joined the protocol. You did most of the talking, and he loved to listen.

“Can I try that?” You say suddenly, eyeing the matcha ice cream popsicle he was biting at. He gives you a raised brow, eyeing your empty tub of ice cream. “No? You already finished yours,” he rolls his eyes. “But I gave you some of mine!” You pout, a bit annoyed at his fear of sharing spit when you’ve both sucked at each other’s tongue countless times now.

In reality, he was fine with sharing. But it was matcha flavored, and you may not like it. He doesn’t wanna ruin the happy moment by you shitting on his favorite flavor of anything.

“Let me try it!”

“NO.”

“Whyyyy?” You whined.

“It’s matcha, you won’t like it.”

“HOW do YOU know?”

“Not everyone likes matcha.” He shrugs, crossing his arms. You raise a brow at him. Why was he being so weird? It’s just ice cream. But then again sometimes there are underlying reasons why he makes a big deal over small stuff.

“I’d give it a try,” you sigh, defeated. He feels your disappointment, and sighs as well. “Not everyone likes matcha. It’s not exactly a common flavor, but it’s what I like. I’m not too fond of people shitting on it,” he starts, remembering Phoenix’s reaction to the first time he tasted matcha. “But I don’t want you to lie to me just to get on my good side. I’ll let you try, but if you don’t like it, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He begins to hold the ice cream to your mouth, and you eye him for a bit before biting down. That was a bad idea, you tell yourself as your teeth tingle at the coldness. Letting it melt in your mouth, you swallow. You grimace at Yoru, and he gives an unamused look. I told you, he thought.

“I like it, you idiot.” You grumble in annoyance, and his eyes widened slightly. He thought you were going to complain or something. He sighed in relief, finishing the thing and tossing the stick away.But you couldn’t help but notice how heavy that sigh was.

“Was the ice cream flavor a metaphor for you?” You ask him, and he shrugs. Bingo. You knew it.

While he was confident with himself, taking pride in his looks and skills, his personality wasn’t as lovable as he’d liked. He was rugged, brooding, cutthroat, and just downright mean to most people. It was second nature, and he couldn’t help it. It has gotten better recently and he’s made unlikely friends in the protocol who’d gladly save his ass in battle. However, beneath all that, he always wondered where he stood with the others, especially you.

He was scared that you were only pretending to like him back, just settling for him. Because he knew damn well Sova was flirting with you a lot, and he couldn’t compete with that guy, personality wise. But he’d never admit that to you. This was a point of contention for both of you, as he’d constantly need reassurance but never asks for it, so he ends up getting mad at you for no reason.

Kinda like matcha, he wasn’t very common and well-liked. And he couldn’t believe that you liked him regardless. It was an insecurity he was ashamed of.

“You’re a dumb dumb,” you say, laughing lightly before scooting closer. “I’d never lie to you about these things honey. What’s the point of that? I’d rather you know what I think than leave you guessing.” You held his hand and watched the sun set, the orange violet hues reflecting in the sea. “If I didn’t like it, I’d just tell you. Just like if you’d do something I don’t like, I’ll tell you. You don’t need to walk on eggshells for me. I’m your lover, after all.” You squeeze his hand.

It was a dumb thing to bicker about. But it was the reassurance he wanted and badly needed. He hated how insecure he was with you, this was not like him at all. But he was fixing himself, for both of you. He looks at you from the side then smiles. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He needed to trust you more with his thoughts and feelings. Slowly but surely, his walls were coming down for you. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but with you by his side now, it feels a lot better.

“I love you.” He said suddenly, speaking his mind. Your eyes widened at him, surprised at his sudden declaration. You laugh out loud, tapping on his lap as he growled and crossed his arms, annoyed. “Oh honey, I love you too!” You declare as well, pulling his face close and kissing his cheek as the sun set. He sighs, leaning into the kiss. He was such a dork.

Nobody loves me the way you do, he thought.

#valorant yoru #yoru x reader #valorant yoru x reader #valorant imagines #valorant #valorant headcanons #valorant yoru imagines #valorant yoru oneshot #valorant oneshots #valorant oneshot #yoru #fanfiction #valorant fanfiction

[gavinsdeviant]

How the bois would react to their partners dressing up in a formal outfit

Thanks to @thesunandmoons-blog for helping me come up with this idea! If anyone wants me to write these headcanons in fics, feel free to let me know!

Happy reading!! 

@sealriously-sealrious @daveysangelsposts @sherlo-ck-holmes

𝕎𝕠𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕤

ᴅᴀᴠɪᴅ

The first time Angel gets ready to meet the pack, they wear a pantsuit and as soon as David sees them, he growls and mutters “fuck” under his breath before pulling them closer by the waist.  As the meeting goes on, he finds himself glancing over at them and just feels proud to have them at his side. 

“Wait till we can home, Angel...” he whispers to them as soon as he gets the chance. They shiver, but smile. 

ᴀꜱʜ

When they go on a date, the third or fourth one, Babe feels like dressing up. They wear a dress (which they don’t normally do) and do something different with their hair. When he sees them, he’s speechless for a few seconds and then he smiles the biggest grin they’d ever seen and hugs them. 

“I’m so lucky to have you,” they remember him saying, and knew that they were in love. 

ᴍɪʟᴏ

Milo knew, at that point in their relationship, that Sweetheart loved when he dressed up. But he didn’t know that it had an affect on him in the same way until they came home from work one day, their leather work pants fit perfectly to their thighs and their white shirt unbuttoned at the top. He doesn’t know what to do with himself and just stares before pulling them to the bedroom.

“Hell, Sweetheart. You’re fine as hell, like this. I love you,” he kisses their shoulder,” and I love your body.”

𝕍𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕤

ᴠɪɴᴄᴇɴᴛ

For their first formal dinner with the clan, Lovely dresses up. They wear all black and Vince takes a long while to study them once they're done with a smile on his face, his dimples making their knees weak. He sees they’re nervous and takes his hands in theirs and tells them they always look beautiful. 

“I love you, Lovely. Nothing will ever change that.”

ꜱᴀᴍ

For their first job back at Shaw Security, Darlin dresses up in something other than their leather jacket and jeans. Sam notices and fumbles over his words when he sees them. 

“Hey, Darlin, I was thinking maybe we could--” A pause. “You- I- You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

They’re confused at first until he leans in to kiss them, growling into their mouth about how fucking sexy they look. 

Qᴜɪɴɴ (ɪꜰ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟᴇxɪꜱ)

She’s probably be attending some event as the King’s progeny and dresses up in a red cocktail dress to compliment her ginger hair. When Quinn sees her, his brows furrow as he pulls her in for a heated kiss. He doesn’t want her to go out in a dress like that but she somehow manages to convince him. 

“You’re mine,” he snarls, and she nods. “I’m yours.”

𝔻(𝕒)𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕤

ɢᴀᴠɪɴ

Freelancer gets ready to go to a school event with humanborns to try and convince them to join the academy. They pick out something graceful to wear and put on the rings Gav loves so much. They don’t expect him to come over, but as they finish he’s suddenly behind them, having rifted into their apartment. He pins them to the nearest wall and trails his mouth down their neck and collarbones, whispering soft words meant only for them. 

“You look beautiful, my sky. You always do.”

ᴄᴀᴇʟᴜᴍ

With each of his charges, he likes to pop up when he has time or when they feel particularly bad. But when he shows up to one of them getting ready he makes sure to tell them that they look happy-- that they look good and that they deserve it. 

“You look really nice. And you deserve to feel nice, cause you’re amazing.”

ᴠᴇɢᴀ

Warden is getting ready for a ball and Vega doesn’t make them forget that they’re absolutely stunning as they get ready. He likes to compliment their eyes, most of all- how absolutely radiant the color is. He loves the way their face lights up, the only happiness he’d allow himself to bask in. They like to tell him how he’s much sweeter and gentle than he lets on and he laughs. 

“Oh Warden, the object of all my joy, just for you.”

#let me know if you guys want a part 2 #I still have a lot of characters to do #redacted asmr #redacted headcanons #redacted david #redacted ash #redacted milo #redacted sam #redacted vincent #redacted quinn #redacted alexis #redacted gavin #redacted caelum #redacted vega #redacedverse #headcanons #redacted asmr fluff #redacted asmr comfort

[disorganizedkitten]

A Study In Friendship Chapter 2

Miraculous Ladybug | 2019 | 2,133 | Ao3 | Prev | Masterlist | Next

Testing The Waters

Sabrina stared at her bedroom ceiling, going over yesterday again in her head.

Most days, she would already be on her feet, bouncing around her room to make completely sure she had finished all of her and Chloe's homework, found a good outfit, and was ready to spend an hour running errands.

But not today.

It felt really weird to have downtime.

Sabrina's phone had been going off incessantly all night, and was picking up steam to do so it again, but she hadn't picked it up. She wanted to edit her schedule, wanted to check on whether or not she could actually eat lunch with Marinette - Sabrina was still riding the high from having made such a good friend yesterday - but she knew that if she picked it up, she would get pulled back into Chloe's clutches.

It was how she lost last time.

And so she continued to stare at the ceiling, trying to quell her racing thoughts. Had Marinette gotten out okay last night? Would Nino hold a grudge? What was Chloe going to do when they saw each other? Sat by each other?  And the traitorous thoughts wondering if Marinette had changed her mind overnight.

Chloe was probably still angry at Sabrina. And she would stay that way. Because Sabrina wasn’t going to grovel for forgiveness this time. She deserved better than to be treated as a servant.

Didn’t she?

She briefly entertained the idea of picking up her phone and blocking Chloe’s contracts on all medias, but that would take between fifteen minutes and half an hour, and there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t read something Chloe sent in the process.

Maybe she could ask her dad too. But then he might look into Chloe for harassment, and while Sabrina was still upset at Chloe and firm in her decision to sever ties, she didn’t want to go that far. Not to mention the Mayor might try to fire Dad if he tried to get Chloe in trouble.

Which nixed that option.

Speaking of Dad…. “Hey Deputy, when are you meeting up with your friend today?”

Oh. And there was that. He had worked late last night, so she hadn’t been able to tell him about the change. Well, there was her activity for the morning!

“Around lunchtime,” Sabrina replied, the joy in her voice only partially forced as she twisted to look at Roger. “Can we have breakfast together?”

“Of course! I’ll start an extra helping.” he ducked back out of her doorway, presumably headed to the kitchen.

Sabrina sat up at last, compartmentalizing her thoughts so that she could enjoy some time with her dad. Their schedules didn’t often overlap like this, she should make the best of it. Especially since her schedule was so much more relaxed than a normal relaxed schedule thismorning.

She walked over to her dresser, near silently, to pick out today’s accessory; she hovered over her usual white headband, before switching it out for a flower she had gotten from Marinette as a birthday present years ago. She’d never managed to give it away, even as she built a rift between herself and the other classmates at Chloe’s side.

She was really, really lucky Marinette had decided to become her friend. That was a lot of distance to bridge. And she would put in the needed work. They both deserved at least that.

Sabrina clipped it into her hair and headed out to enjoy breakfast with her Dad. A rare occurrence that might not be quite so rare anymore. It was a possibility that made her smile.

***

‘I’m planning on having Sabrina over for lunch too, is that okay with you?’ The message had gone out to three different numbers, all of which replied with some version of yes. Alya had been skeptical but proud of her for trying, Nino said he’d try it, and Adrien thought it was a good idea.

Which were the reactions Marinette had expected, mostly. She hadn’t expected Adrien to be quite this happy about it, but she would take it.

Hopefully the stutter wouldn’t be too bad today She needed to focus on bridging the gap between Sabrina and Nino. And Alya, but Alya hadn’t met nearly as much of the attacks from Chloe and Sabrina as Nino and Marinette had.

***

Sabrina got to school earlier than usual. She didn’t want to coincide with Chloe’s time of arrival, but Marinette didn’t have a set time to get to school, so Sabrina couldn’t plan for that. She just had to get there early and wait.

Which brought up where she would be waiting.

Logically, she knew that she had picked her seat earlier in the year, and should stick to it. But dread pooled in her stomach at the thought of sitting beside Chloe for hours every day now that they were no longer friends.

The main question was if Mme. Bustier would allow her to move, and if anyone would want her sitting beside them.

With Marinette as her only friend, and Alya sitting by Marinette, it was unlikely she would be greeted warmly. Although Ivan or Nathaniel might let her sit beside them and ignore her, which would be leagues better than having to still sit by Chloe. Plus, Marinette was right in front of them!

Yes, she would try that.

Sabrina skipped up the staircase, turning at the banister, almost colliding with someone.

“Morning Sabrina!”

She blinked at Nino, unsure of his sudden warmth towards her. “Morning?”

“Marinette said you’re joining us for lunch, any requests?”

“Not really.” Sabrina shook her head, still unsure. This was new. And it happened fast.

“Alright, see you then!” Nino waved and continued on his way, as though that was completely ordinary. It was.. nice, to not be treated like a demon or a bomb.

Were- were people really going to be that forgiving already?  Sabrina tightened her grip on her bag in excitement.

Mme. Bustier was already seated at her desk when Sabrina entered the Classroom, so she got straight to arguing her case. She didn’t have Chloe to make the teacher bend to their will anymore, so she had to actually use her intellect. “Mme. Bustier, I’d like to switch seats. I know that it’s not time for the midsemester switch, and that you rarely do the midsemester switch anyways, but I would feel much better if I was sitting in the middle right row instead of up front where I was.”

Mme. Butsier looked towards the seats in question, where only Ivan was at the moment. “I don’t see a problem with you moving, but we will have to check with Ivan first, alright?”

“Alright!” Sabrina nodded, surprised at how easily Mme. Bustier had caved. She didn’t have to use most of her arguments! Which was good, all things considered. It would be obvious soon, but she needed a little while to mentally prepare before plainly announcing to everyone else that she was done being friends with Chloe.

They made their way up to Ivan’s desk, where Mme. Bustier asked his opinion on the switch. Ivan grunted noncommittally, but nodded. Sabrina sighed quietly. Two hurdles passed. “Thank you!” She slid onto the bench, pulling her bag up in front of her too.

Ivan grunted again, and this time Sabrina could almost make out words at the low volume.

Mme. Bustier had reached her desk again when Nino returned, headphones pulled up and an argument in the form of Kim and Alix following him. Sabrina scanned the classroom to pass time, seeing who else was there. Rose, Juleka, and Max, were already in their seats, and Mylene was at the edge of Rose and Juleka’s desk, happily chattering about a music show.

Sabrina hoped Marinette could get here soon. She wanted to talk like that, although she didn’t know what Marinette might want to talk about. Maybe fashion? Or flowers! Marinette liked those, right? And Sabrina knew plenty about flowers, Chloe had liked them too.

She crossed her arms, leaning her chin on them as she watched and waited for her best friend to come through the door. It would probably be a little while, Marinette lived really close, but almost always got to school second to last. Probably taking advantage of her proximity to the school to spend more time at home.

Sabrina should do that too. Time her trek to school so that she arrived just a little bit before Marinette did, and they could go in together like Sabrina and Chloe used to!

A hand slammed onto her desk, shaking her out of her thoughts. Sabrina focused on it, recognizing it as Chloe’s. She must have really zoned out, if she missed Chloe walking in.

“There you are! Did Dupain-Cheng steal your phone yesterday or something? I’ve been calling you for ages! That horrid Akuma attacked me again, and Ladybug and Chat Noir just destroyed my room! The only good thing that came of it was me featuring on Cesaire’s blog. I’m going to need so much retail therapy for this, and you have to come with me.”

Sabrina took a deep breath, and then looked straight at Chloe. This would be so much easier with Marinette to back her up, but she still had a backbone of her own and she would use it. “Take Jean-Claude with you. We’re not friends anymore, remember?”

Chloe scoffed. “Come on, you’re still on that? Dupain-Cheng was just upset about the work portioning. She’s so quarrelsome!”

“Marinette is super nice! She’s been a much better friend in the eighteen hours since she became my friend than you were all year.” Sabrina didn't mention the Akuma, but only barely. Her job wasn't to spy and reveal secrets anymore.

“You’re just being ridiculous, Sabrina!”

Sabrina opened her mouth to retort, tell her that No, she wasn’t being ridiculous, and Yes, she was actually done being Chloe’s friend now, but Ivan replied before she could.

“Chloe, she said no. Go sit down.”

Chloe huffed, “Fine. Sabrina, we’ll talk at lunch.” she spun around and stomped back down to their normal seats. Their old seats. Chloe’s seat, now.

Sabrina watched Chloe go, and once she was seated turned to Ivan. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “You’re welcome.”

Sabrina smiled, turning back to her bag, and then looking at the door again too. Perfect timing, just as Marinette and Adrien walked in and took their seats. Alya must have slipped in while Sabrina was zoning out too, as she was there to greet Marinette with a fist-bump.

“Hey Sabrina!” Marinette whispered, turning and smiling at her.

“Hi Marinette!” Sabrina waved back, her smile widening. “Everything went well last night?”

Marinette leaned to the side, tilting her head as she did so. “There was a minor hiccup,-” she shrugged, moving back to a normal sitting position. She was so expressive! “-but it all worked out, and Nath came out okay. He might be taking the day off school though.”

“Who wouldn’t?” Alya asked, twisting to join the conversation. “Even if I wasn’t suspended at the time of mine, I would have taken a day off.”

“Yeah.” Sabrina agreed. “It makes sense for Akumatization to be mentally and emotionally taxing, I don’t think anyone will fault him for it.” Except maybe Chloe. And yesterday, Sabrina herself. Like they had with Ivan. Oohhh. She might want to apologize for that.

But what if it was too late? Or her bringing it up just made him mad? They only sat by each other, maybe she should just leave it.

She definitely would apologize to Nathaniel. And maybe Marinette. Her being rude along with Chloe caused it, and that then put her friend in danger.

“They better not,” Alya rolled her eyes.

“If anyone is going to be faulted it will be Hawkmoth. He's the only one who's actually at fault.” Marinette’s eyes hardened as she said it. Sabrina couldn’t blame her. Ever since Hawkmoth had made himself known, Ladybug had been working with the police to make sure Akuma victims were always protected from backlash and victim blaming. It didn't always work.

“Yeah.”

The bell rung then, effectively ending the conversation. Alya and Marinette turned back to the front, and Mylene scurried down to her seat.

“Alright class, settle down!” Mme. Bustier clapped, standing up and walking around to the front of her desk.

Sabrina flipped her bag open and pulled out her tablet, powering it on to see a screen full of notifications. She glanced over at the back of Chloe’s head, then to Marinette’s, right in front of her. Smiling sadly to herself, she tapped ‘Clear all’ and opened her notebook app and study guide. She would be okay. She had Marinette, and Chloe wouldn’t pull her back.

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain-cheng #sabrina raincomprix #old writing #Jaymeow writes #Crossposting spam #Red's The Color Of Your Heart #A Study in Friendship #ASiF

[ahiddenpath]

New Digimon Fanfic: Masks

Digiweek 2022 Day 7: Free Day

AO3/FFN

Summary:  Following the events of Kizuna, the Chosen slowly lose their digimon partners, all while struggling to launch their adult lives. Takeru has been smiling through it all, but Yamato is beginning to sense that he needs more help than he lets on... A story exploring grief, seeking, giving, and accepting emotional support, and navigating the line between expressing what you're comfortable expressing and knowing when to seek help. Complete oneshot.

Ships:  None/general, Characters: Takeru and Yamato, Status: Complete, Rating: general, Length: 9,000 words

Happy Odaiba Day!  I’m celebrating with a brand new oneshot starring Takeru and Yamato (who came out hilariously STRONK in my drawing, I DIDN’T MEAN TO GO THAT HARD, lol!  I was thinking he has to get fit to start his astronaut training, and suddenly he’s BUILT, sorry Yams).  I’ve been wanting to explore how Takeru and Yamato present themselves- ie, is there a rift between their inner and outer worlds?  If so, is that okay, or is it dishonest?  How much transparency do we owe the world?  I thought the topic was really interesting- but in the end, I think the story is ultimately about brotherhood and emotional support.

I wanted to give a huge thank you to the mods at @digiweek​, and also to the entire digimon fandom!  It’s been so amazing to see your wonderful work this week.  I’m so pleased and proud to be a part of this community, thank you so very much for having me!  I love you, and Happy Odaiba Day!

Edit:  Sorry it’s blurry, I have no idea why Tumblr is like this, if you know how to fix that, please share <3  But it looks a lot better if you click the image :D

#digimon #digiweek2022 #odaiba day #yamato ishida #takeru takaishi #digimon adventure #digimon fanfiction #digific #digimon fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #digimon fanart #faves

[the-bi-space-ace]

The World Tumbles Down Chapter 2

This chapter proved a challenge for me to be completely honest with you but I really ended up loving it by the time I finished it and posted it.

I am especially proud of two things: the Rex and Fox conversation and the sparring scene with the batch.

I based Rex and Fox’s conversation on a very real complicated relationship that I have had with my own brother. Sometimes when you love somebody they do things that create rifts in your relationship and no matter how much you love that person it’s difficult to return to your previous relationship. Rex and Fox have a rift and neither of them know how to talk about it. That doesn’t mean they don’t care about each other but they can’t talk to each other. Fox overcompensates with confidence and Rex gets angry. It’s not really a great environment for heart to hearts. I liked writing them because they’re distinctly different than Rex’s relationship with Cody for example. There’s still some of that playful history between them where they can revert back to old habits but there’s something they aren’t talking about and that plagues their relationship. It’s ridiculously complicated between them and I’m certainly not done exploring them yet.

Fox himself is a tough one to write. Mainly because we know so little of his actual canon personality (but when has that ever stopped us clone fans 😉) He’s a lot of fun and I genuinely really like writing him. He brings something new to a fairly established pattern in my writing style that I’m really enjoying playing with. And we certainly haven’t seen the last of him.

The sparring scene. My love. The batch really needed some alone time. They’ve been struggling having to be so… social all the time. They needed some together time and Echo really needed them to get him out of his head. He opened up to Hunter in the last fic (finally) and that progress has kind of stunted a bit. They know Echo pretty well and if they let him stew he’s just going to continue to backslide. I liked the idea of it being a tradition they have - pulling each other out of their heads either something physical, something of a challenge. Trying to get Echo to talk right now won’t work. He’ll lash out. Hunter saw that right away.

Which means it’s time for Wrecker to wear him out, Tech to challenge him, and Crosshair to break him out of his bad mood and introduce something more playful. Hunter knew exactly what he was suggesting and he’s very pleased with himself and I personally think that’s very cute. He knows how to take care of them when push comes to shove. Echo wants to be cross (hehe) at them for making him feel better but he can’t stay mad at them for long.

I never wanted to lose those more lighthearted and playful moments between these characters. That’s my favorite part. There’s issues between them but they don’t stop loving each other because of that. It just. Hurts.

None of them are going to react or patch things up in the same way and that’s okay. They’ll do it at their own pace in their own time. Until then we’ll see how they’re grappling with the different conflicts between them.

I’m excited to post more chapters! Chapter 3 is a fun one and I’m excited to show you where this story is headed.

#the bad batch fanfiction #calling me home #Ace's Debrief #The World Tumbles Down #the clone wars fanfiction #I like doing these they're fun

[kakairu-shrine]

Fourth Year Anniversary!

Today is my fourth anniversary as a KakaIru creator! Normally, I share a bunch of statistics; but this time, I’d like to reflect on the past year, and some of the things I have planned for the future, instead.

Firstly, I don’t think I have created as much this year as the other years, as a lot has happened irl; and a good chunk of my writing time was taken away because I just got so overwhelmed with life, and I found it hard to think.

It’s sad, because I absolutely love writing, and have so many ideas that I want to get out there; but I just couldn’t manage it as much as I wanted to.

I am proud to say, though, that I managed to write 25 fics, with a total word count of 121 926 words (having calculated that just now, I’m actually impressed I wrote so much – I wasn’t really expecting to reach over 100k!)!

Out of all of the new fics, I think my favourite one is my WIP, Linked (CW: NSFW & some dark chapters), which is the fic I wanted to write to celebrate reaching a milestone of 100 fics on ao3, where I got people to tell me what they wanted me to write.

You guys gave me so many suggestions with characters and tropes that you liked; and I was excited to challenge myself by including all of the tied number one votes, rather than choosing just one/ doing a revote.

Sadly, I haven’t finished it yet, and have only done 19/28 chapters (approx. 45.4k words); but that brings me to my future plans.

I really love the story so far, of Kakashi and Iruka being handcuffed together and having to figure out how to free themselves, as well as everything else I have planned for it; and I am going to pick up on it again, and aim to have it complete before my next anniversary (but hopefully even earlier!).

I also want to finish another WIP I suddenly stopped after 14/23 chapters (approx. 19.8k words), The Rift (CW: Dark), which I started in the first KakaIru Maze Challenge I ran, Into The Ancient World. I had gotten the prompt ‘Afterlife’; and started a story about Kakashi dying, and trying to find his way back home, while Iruka stays by his side at the hospital.

It’s an idea I’ve had since I was a kid, but I could never settle on the characters I wanted, and had never finished any stories at the time, so it was just something I daydreamed about; but I have grown as a writer since then, and want to finally turn the dream into a reality, and share it with everyone!

There is one more main project that I’ll be working on this year, too; but it is massive, and I can’t say when I’ll finish it. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure, combined with an otome game; and Iruka, who will be the main character, can end up with one of four ships, depending on the choices he makes throughout the story 👀

I have planned it out entirely, and just need to finish writing it out; but with the amount of options I’ve added throughout the fic (over 100, if I remember correctly), there is going to be a lot of writing to do (I’d say at least 80k words), so, as much as I want to finish & share it, I probably won’t be able to do that this year. But it is something I’m very excited about!

Those are the main things I want to focus on, but I will more than likely write other fics when I get inspired, and/or add to some of my series; especially Family Adventures, which is my dad kakairu series featuring Kaito, their genius son, and In A Land Far, Far Away, my Star Wars AU where Kakashi gives refugees Iruka & Naruto the life they deserve ❤️

That’s all for now. Thank you guys for all your support so far! I really appreciate all the kudos, likes, and reblogs; and every single comment I get really puts a smile on my face, and makes my day ❤️💕

I look forward to spending another year with you!

#kakairu-shrine #fourth anniversary #kakairu fanfic #reflection #future plans

[peppermintchaos]

Chapter 3

word count: 2624

chapters 1 and 2

There was a uniquely palpable air of tenseness in the air as Mochi sat with their oldest friend and the General of Obtuncliff.

They held back a laugh at Takeover’s miffed expression, clearly upset at having been made to let in the General. It reminded them of years ago, how her least favorite portion of godly duties had been dealing with whatever unruly new gods wandered into the surrounding territory, always preferring to hide away and let Green and Mochi handle the issue.

[Mochi struggled in their handcuffs. Thick vines covered in flowers curled around their wrists and waist, restraining almost all upper body movement.

Green huffed a sigh at them. “This is for your own good, we’ll let you go in a bit.”

The purple one hummed in agreement from the couch.

“How do I know you’re not lying? For all I know, you freaks could be planning to- to flay me alive or something!” Mochi snarled.

“They always say that.”

“I know, right?” Green mused. “Flayed, skinned, dismembered,- why would we do any of that when there’s poison?” Fey conjured a bright red flower, seemingly accentuating their point. “It’s just so much faster!”

“I can never turn down a good stabbing, personally,” said the girl on the couch, casually turning a page in her book.

“I will never understand what it is with you and stabbing people.’

Mochi looked on with bewilderment.]

“Ok, maybe this is just some cultural thing I don’t understand,” started the General, “but do you always greet your guests with some small talk and an attempted murder?”

Takeover glowered at them.

“She made small talk with you first?” Mochi exclaimed. “That’s a big improvement, Takeover. I’m so proud of you.”

She then turned and glowered at Mochi.

“They claim that they know Green,” Takeover informed her.

Mochi blinked in surprise. “Really?”

Beta had informed them about its diplomat-generals arrival- but it hadn’t said anything about them being any sort of long-life species, much less anything about a connection with Green.

Peppermint turned to look at Mochi, serious. “I’m not ‘claiming,’ I knew Green. I wouldn't lie about that.”

“But… when? Before they were a god? Or were you-” Mochi squinted, thinking. “But I thought Beta had said that you were originally from Ciemne Rówiny. Were you a resident of the Tri-Colored city at some point or something?”

“It was definitely after they were a god. Also, I’m 27, so that second one is out of the question.”

“They claimed to have had a ‘mishap’ with a ‘rift’, whatever that means,” scoffed Takeover.

Mochi tensed, the idea dawning on them. It could only be…

“The rift in Ciemne Równiny?”

The General nodded calmly. “I fell in as a child.”

Mochi stared at them, vaguely horrified. “How do you survive that drop? How old were you?”

“I had just turned ten.”

“What the fuck are you two talking about,” said Takeover.

Mochi turned to look at her. “Did I not tell you about the hole?”

“No,” she said, raising an eyebrow. Mochi winced as they felt static fill the air immediately near the goddess, a tell-tale sign of annoyance.

“There's a hole. In Ciemne Równiny. It goes to the Graveyard.” The General informed her, subtly staring at their arm as the hair on it raised.

Takeover stared at Mochi intensely. “This is just like when you forgot to tell me that the River god died for a full 2 centuries. And then I sent his demigod child a happy birthday card. And almost started a war.”

Mochi rolled their eyes. “Ok, this is not like that at all. For one thing, it's only been 70 years.”

“I worked for the River god’s kid for like a year. He was a dick,” added the General. “Um. Respectfully.”

Takeover wrinkled her nose, obviously anti-river descendant. “Why were you working for him? I thought you were an Obtunclif general?” She scoffed. “Are you some sort of double agent?”

Mochi whacked her side softly. “That's rude,” they whispered.

“You're really bad at whispering,” noted the General.

The three of them stared at each other silently for a second.

“Anyways,” resumed the General, “Working for other gods is essentially a part of my job description as a diplomat when the Obtunclif army isn't engaged in any major events or conflict. He wanted me to teach his child to fight for a year in exchange for… his side of the Deal.” They smiled slyly. “I could work for you, as well. That's the original purpose of my visit.”

“Actually, now the purpose is to fully explain how you met Green,” Takeover huffed.

Mochi hummed. “While I still want to discuss the Deal, I’m curious too. It doesn't make sense for you to survive at that young of an age. Wait- what makes less sense is how the hell you got out. I've never heard of anyone returning from the Graveyard.”

The General smirked. “Maybe I’m just special. Say, have you ever heard the story of the raven and the dove?”

“No,” said Takeover, the static electricity in the air dissipating at the idea of any sort of story, ever the goddess of literature.

“I do, but I haven’t the slightest what that has to do with any of this,” Mochi said.

“You should tell Takeover the story.”

Mochi stared at them. “Is this really leading anywhere?”

The General nodded. “It’s the best way to explain everything, and I’m not good at telling stories.”

“What is the story about?”

“It’s an old kids story,” explained the General. “It has its roots in truth, though. There’s an addition to the tale that’s gotten popular in Obtunclif recently, too.”

Takeover leaned in across the table. “I’d love to hear it."

“If that’s what you want,” Mochi said.

“Once upon a time,” they started, “There lived a Raven and a Dove. The birds were siblings, and the closest of friends, and they both lived in the highest branch of the highest tree on the highest mountain. The Dove heard everything, and the Raven was very wise, and so together they were recognized as the rulers of animals all over the world.

One day, the pair traveled into the forest-”

“Skip the forest,” the General interrupted.

“Why?” Asked Takeover.

“We can’t just skip the bear,” protested Mochi. “It’s- it's a third of the story!”

The General rolled their eyes. “Yeah, but it isn't the part that matters. The bear is boring and 66% of all salamanders ever are assholes. The fish is the only good one.”

“You’re acting like you know them personally.”

“I do.”

Takeover tapped her fingers on the table. “Even if they aren't important, we can’t skip the buildup, it’ll mess up the story structure.”

The General huffed. “You sound like a salamander.”

“What does that mean?”

Mochi sighed. “We can skip to the fish if it matters that much.”

“It does.”

Mochi started again.

“One day, the pair traveled down, all the way across the land to an estuary, and met a young fish.

‘Oh, Raven, oh Dove,’ cried Fish. ‘Everyone says you two can solve any problem, and that you know everything, and I need help.’

‘Of course we can!’ Tittered Dove. ‘What’s wrong?’ asked Raven.

Fish gurgled in distress. ‘I’ve gotten lost from my school, and yesterday I heard some egrets bragging about the biggest meal they'd had in ages- did the egrets eat my school?’

The birds looked at each other. Dove fluttered her wings uncomfortably.

‘Please,’ cried Fish. “Tell me the truth!”

‘Yes, they did,’ chirped Dove sadly, for she had heard from an egret earlier about the occurrence. She plucked a pure-white feather from her wing, and gave it to Fish. ‘Here, she said. “Take this, and it will give you the ability to carry on their legacy.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ said Raven.

Fish sniffled. ‘That’s what I thought.’

Dove flew away, but Raven stayed a bit longer. ‘Fish, have you ever been down to the ocean?’

Fish shook its head.

‘You’re a strong fish, and your kind can live in the saltwater. Why don’t you go down to the bay? They’ve had some struggles recently, and they could use someone like you, especially now that you're a feather-holder. It would make your school very proud.’

Fish looked up at Raven.

‘Do you really think so?’

‘I’m sure of it.’

Fish swished its fins. ‘I know where the bay is. If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll go see what I can do.'

Raven cawed. ‘That would be lovely.’

Fish swam away, sunlight glinting off it’s scales.

The next day, Dove flew by the bay and again heard all the creatures praising Raven’s brilliance.

(“Did that also happen the first two times?” asked Takeover.

“Yes,” replied Peppermint. “Context clues.”)

Dove seethed in anger as every fish, crab and dolphin in the sea chattered about how Raven had helped Fish, Salamander, and Bear. What about her? She had been there too! She was just as good, if not better than her sibling! She was the one that made feather-holders! Why would anyone pay so much attention to that dark, dull bird over her splendid light? Why didn’t they show appreciation for her feathers? As Dove flew back to the nest she shared with Raven, she stewed in her jealousy for her sibling until she was full of rage, and ultimately, decided to get rid of them.

When Dove got back to the nest, she approached Raven. “Dear sibling,” she cooed. “May I borrow one of your feathers?”

Raven, trusting their sister, plucked a gossamer black feather from their wing and handed it to her. “What do you need it for?”

Dove didn't respond, instead fluttering over to the edge of the branch.

“Dove?” asked Raven again, scared of losing a feather, for one of Raven’s feathers to be lost without a master could cause great chaos to be unleashed on the world below.

But Dove still didn't respond, instead dropping the feather down, down into the deepest valley in the land.

“Dove!” shouted Raven, and Raven chased and chased, but couldn't find the feather, for the feather made the valley darker and darker until the valley was coated in night. By the time they had found it, the valley was too deep and too dark to get back out, and so the Raven lived there, and does to this day. The end.”

Takeover leaned back in her chair. “What an interesting way to end the story.”

“That's why I never liked it. It feels unfinished, with the poor raven stuck forever,” Mochi said.

Peppermint laughed. “That's because the story isn't finished!”

“Really?” asked Mochi. “That's all of the story I’ve heard.”

“Well, it only got added onto recently, but someday, Raven will escape. Want to hear the rest?”

Takeover nodded. "I get where this is going. You may continue."

Peppermint closed their eyes.

“Once upon a time, there was a raven who lived in the deepest, darkest crevice of the deepest, darkest valley. Even though the valley was dreary, the Raven didn't mind it. Their eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness. It had been a long time since they were sent down by their sister Dove, and they enjoyed the lush foliage of the valley. Even if they couldn't talk to anyone, the Raven gained new wisdom. So they lived, alone, until one day a goat showed up.”

Mochi and Takeover shared a glance.

“Goat carried a wreath of gently glowing flowers around their horns, and for the first time in years, Raven saw light.

Goat bleated in joy when they saw Raven. 'I knew it!’ they said, happy to have found the bird. ‘I heard about a bird as black as night, but when I asked about it, the Dove came and flapped her wings in my eyes until I fell down here!’

Raven flapped their wings in surprise. ‘Who are you?’ They asked.

Goat blinked. ‘I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Goat, a feather-holder from the northern mountains. Are you not Raven?’

‘I am Raven,’ cawed the bird. ‘Has it been so long that people have forgotten me?’

Goat nodded. ‘I’ve only read about you- very few feather-holders know of you."

Raven was wise, and knew their sister well. 'Dove has made sure that no one can find me, even among her feather-holders, hasn't she?’ Figured Raven.

Goat stomped their hoof. 'That was my theory, and that's why I’m here. How do you survive down here?’

Raven tilted their head. ‘I can show you how to live here, if you like.’

Goat bleated in excitement. ‘Please!’ they cried, ‘It would be an honor to learn from the Raven themself!’

'Please, Goat. Think of me as a friend.’

‘Of course!’

And so the two were friends, and with their shared knowledge were able to achieve many feats down in the valley, even planting a garden of glowing flowers together.”

“Is this where it ends?” Mochi interrupted.

“Not quite- for years upon years later, a caterpillar, who had lived the smallest fraction of a lifetime compared to Goat and Raven, fell into the garden of flowers.

Caterpillar cried and cried, until finally Raven and Goat found them.

‘What?’ said Goat. 'What is a small caterpillar like you doing all the way down here?’

‘I slipped and I fell,’ wailed Caterpillar. 'Before I knew it, I was all the way down here!’

Raven cawed in sympathy. 'Don't worry, little Caterpillar, for your kind can grow wings- perhaps, with the help of Goat and I, your wings will be strong enough to fly you out of here.’

Caterpillar sniffled. ‘If feather-holders can't get out of the valley, how will I?’

‘Goat can't fly, and I can't find my way out no matter what I do,’ Raven explained. ‘But once you're a butterfly, you could.’

'That's right!’ said Goat. ‘I will teach you how to farm and how to fight, and Raven will teach you how to be wise and navigate the darkness. A caterpillar like you doesn't deserve to live down in the valley.’

‘Alright,’ said Caterpillar, stopping their tears, for they had no other choice.

Little Caterpillar trained with Raven and Goat until they were ready to go into their cocoon. But in the cocoon, feathers grew instead of flowing butterfly wings, as they, strangely enough, had changed from their time around Raven and Goat, and were hardly a caterpillar by the end of it. Caterpillar emerged from their cocoon a bright red Cardinal.

When Cardinal’s wings were strong enough to fly out of the valley, they turned to Goat and Raven, determination filling their black eyes. ‘I promise to get you both out of here, one day.’

'Don't make promises you can't keep,’ warned Raven.

‘I will keep it,’ swore Cardinal. ‘I’ll find Dove and make her release you, both of you, as well as all the plants and creatures of the valley!’

‘If you say that you can, I will put my faith in you,”said Goat.

‘I’ll trust you to make good on that, Cardinal,’ said Raven.

Goat and Raven watched the crimson bird fly off into the distant light.

The end.”

“So ‘feather-holders are gods-” Takeover said.

“Goat is Green, Dove is the goddess of light,” Mochi continued, “You’re the Cardinal, and Raven was your other master, the one who helped you escape. A god of darkness?”

Takeover shook her head. “Mochi, it’s the other Grand God from Green’s theory, the so-called forbidden knowledge. That's why the Grand Goddess killed them.”

“Technically, Ash is the Primordial god of the Void,” said Peppermint, “but close enough. Grand, Primordial, True- different names, same guys.”

Takeover hummed thoughtfully. “Are you really trying to take down the Grand Goddess?”

Peppermint smiled nonchalantly. “Well, me and my commander have been… gathering our resources.”

Mochi grimaced. “That is the true nature of the Deal, isn’t it?”

“It is!” they said cheerfully. “But one day-

I will kill that god with my own two hands.”

#writing #god au 2.0 mint edition #GNAWING AT THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE. WORLDBUILDING! BACKSTORY! #i think the next one is gonna be in the graveyard... green and ash bein bros...

[harmonyindark245]

One Last Time [Chapter 6]

Summary - Elain and Azriel have known each other since they were 11 and had never been separated. But when their view for their future no longer matches, things break apart between them, causing a rift which had never been fixed. Elain goes on to become a neurosurgeon, while Azriel works for the deadlier part of the community. Ten years later, their lives get entangled as they cross paths, this time stakes much greater than just their hearts.

An: All characters belong to Sarah J. Maas

Warnings: Mature language, violence, alcohol consumption, smoking, drugs

Hope you all enjoy!

Masterlist

Songs:

Tornado Warnings - Sabrina Carpenter Forget Forever - Selena Gomez Blood // Water - grandson

It had been an entire week since Elain had called him out for cheating. 

It had been so long since he thought about that day that he had actually forgotten the specifics. All he remembered were Elain’s tears as she ran out of the room, him not even trying to explain. 

He knew he deserved all the hate she was spewing, but he wished it were different. He wished he could tell her what had truly happened that day, but he was a coward. 

Rhysand’s birthday and Thanksgiving both passed quietly, with no suspicious activity that indicated any harm to Elain or Daemon. He found it funny that he was now protecting the two people he was meant to kidnap. 

Azriel had been spending his early mornings with Daemon, getting to know more about him, telling him his own childhood stories. It felt surreal, to have a son. It disheartened Azriel whenever he heard a fun anecdote from Daemon’s initial years and Azriel realized he missed out on them because of his own mistakes. 

He was proud of how mature and smart Daemon was. He knew it had to do with the fact that Elain was too young when she had him. He was also proud of Elain, for being able to handle a child while managing college, all on her own. Azriel knew though, if he ever told that to her, she would backhand him with as much force as she could.

Azriel had thought things would manage out when, out of nowhere, Daemon asked why he didn’t have a sibling. He didn’t even know if a ten-year-old knew where babies came from, and he didn’t want to give an answer that Elain wouldn’t agree with. So he just said, “Your mom might know.”

Daemon easily accepted the answer and continued eating his chocolate chip pancakes. Azriel wondered if Daemon was aware of the situation going on between him and Elain. Or did he think they were a perfectly happy family, all back together now?

Azriel snapped back to reality when his phone started ringing through his car system. He picked it up without looking. 

“What?” 

“Hello to you too Az.” Nesta’s cool voice came through the speakers. 

He rolled his eyes. “Is this a reminder for Sunday? Cause that’s 3 days away and yes, I will just get her a gift card.”

“No Azhole.” Nesta snapped and Azriel smiled at the road. “I want you to bring Elain and Daemon.” Azriel instantly pushed the brakes, causing the cars behind him to honk at him.

“Elain and Daemon? You want me - the guy she wants to kill - to tell her that I’m taking her to a birthday party when she’s supposed to be kidnapped?” 

Azriel let out a laugh as he started driving again. “Nesta, with all due respect, that is the worst idea you’ve ever had, and that’s saying a lot, considering you’re married to Cassian. Shouldn’t you be the one to invite her?” 

“I can’t. I fought with her a few days ago.” Nesta said with a sigh. 

Azriel ran a hand through his hair, releasing an aggravated sigh as he considered her request. “Fine, I’ll tell her, but no promises.”

“Good.” Azriel thought she had disconnected but suddenly her voice came through the speakers, soft and timid. “And Az, maybe you should talk to her. About that night.” He didn’t respond and eventually, the click sound came, indicating that she cut the line. 

He huffed out a breath as he thought about Nesta’s words. Maybe she was right and he should finally tell Elain the truth about what had happened ten years ago. 

~~~~~

Azriel had finally reached his destination. It had taken him an hour and a half from his office to get there. 

He had managed to hack into the iPhones he had grabbed from the dead bodies of the men that had attacked the ball. There wasn’t much information available on it but he tracked a number common on both phones, which led him to an abandoned warehouse on the docks. Azriel scoffed at the cliche location. He sent his live location to both Rhys and Cassian as a fail-safe. 

He parked his car hidden behind the large building. He checked his gun and blade before getting out of the car. He didn’t see any cars nearby and took his bag along with him. He reached inside to find it empty, a bunch of empty containers loitering the area. His phone beeped with a message from Lucien. 

All is good here. Elain wants to talk. Daemon and I will be upstairs. 

Elain wanted to talk. Good. Because so did he. He closed my eyes and promise himself that he would tell Elain everything once he went back home. 

Azriel took out the surveillance equipment he had brought and started hiding them all around the warehouse. It took him quite a while to install the audio recorders as well as the cameras, placing multiple, covering the whole area. 

As he was just about finished, he heard the sound of tires on gravel. He cursed and quickly wrapped up, ducking behind a container.

He saw multiple men enter the warehouse and took his gun out of his pocket, to be prepared. He slightly faltered when he saw Graysen along with the men. Azriel had not even considered Graysen could be related to the attack. 

“You promised that you would give me the girl as well as a kid. Where are they Graysen?” Said a muffled male voice. Azriel looked at the group of men that had convened in the middle and saw Graysen had his phone out. The voice was most likely coming from there. 

Azriel concurred that the girl and kid the man had mentioned were probably Elain and Daemon. What he didn’t understand was why them. And why Graysen would orchestrate an attack at his own father’s ball to get his fiancee?

 “I’m really sorry, but I don’t know where they are,” Graysen muttered. “They’ve been gone since that night. I guess someone else took them.” 

The other man clicked his tongue. “It really is a pity that people like you have power.” Azriel couldn’t help but wonder how the voice sounded eerily familiar. 

“I suspect Rhysand took her. He’s married to his sister.” Another man spoke up. 

Graysen let out a laugh. “What’s he gonna do? Torture his sister-in-law? He’s weak. They’re all on a deadline anyway.” 

Azriel frowned at the confidence in Graysen’s voice. He had to figure out what Graysen thought he knew. Suddenly, a cat came out of nowhere and crashed into a pile of bottles behind Azriel. He jumped back and held back a groan as something pierced the skin of his back. 

“Hey! Who’s there?” Someone called out. 

Damn it. 

With no time to think Azriel started off in a sprint, running towards the exit when gunshot sounds started. 

Azriel moved quickly, trying to cover himself from any bullets with the help of the containers. He took his own gun and cocked it, taking a deep breath right before he straightened and fired shots in the direction of the voice. 

He hit one man, which gave him time to get out of the warehouse. He darted towards the exit when suddenly, there was blinding hot, searing pain running through his shoulder, causing him to stop. He touched his arm and found his hand red with blood.

Motherfucking shit. 

He didn’t stop running until he reached his car. Suspiciously, no one came out of the warehouse. He didn’t take any chances, and started the car quickly, flooring the gas pedal and driving away from there as fast as he could. He felt his breath get shallower and cursed knowing that by the time he reached Headquarters, he would bleed out. He couldn’t even go to a hospital.

He could only think of one thing.  

Elain. 

She was a doctor. She could help. Hopefully not kill him in anger. He decided to take his chances and swerved his car, heading towards his home.

For the first time in his life, he wondered what would happen if he didn’t make it. He might not be able to tell Elain the truth about everything. He might not be able to be an actual father to Daemon. 

He groaned as his shoulder hurt while driving. He was glad he didn’t bring his manual. He stopped the car for a moment, tore a piece of cloth, and wrapped it around his wound to stop the bleeding. He could feel excruciating pain in his back as well but ignored it, choosing to reach home as quickly as possible.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply, each breath more difficult than the previous. 

Maybe he was going to die. 

~~~~~

She didn’t actually mean putting a bullet in him when she thought about talking to him. 

Although if this was a sign, it was a pretty massive one. A bedridden Azriel would have no choice but to listen to her. If he survived. 

Shit. 

She somehow managed to drag Azriel’s semi-conscious body towards the dining table where she laid him down, pushing away all the objects present. 

“First-aid-kit” He breathed out shallowly. “Kitchen.” 

Elain ran quickly and opened various drawers and cabinets until she found the first aid kit in the cabinet under the sink. It was as big as a medic kit, which she was grateful for. 

She ran back to Azriel’s side and took out a large pair of scissors, cutting open his t-shirt to get access to the wound. She removed the piece of cloth wrapped around his shoulder and slightly winced when she saw the bullet wound. She took a deep breath. You’ve seen worse than this. This is just a small wound. You can do this. She tried to reassure herself. 

She searched the bag for anything to help with the pain and groaned when she came up empty. She once again ran to the kitchen looking for alcohol. She found an unopened bottle of Absolut in a cabinet and decided that it was the best option she had. 

She unscrewed the bottle and poured it into a glass. She brought Azriel’s head upwards and poured it down his throat. “I’m sorry, but this is the only anesthesia I could get in a short time.” She took another glass of vodka and frowned. “And this is going to hurt like hell.” Without another word, she poured the glass over his wound. 

He let out a disgruntled scream causing Elain to flinch. “I’m so sorry, but you don’t have hydrogen peroxide to clean it and this was a better option than using actual sanitizer.” 

“It’s in my bathroom cabinet.” He groaned out, glaring at Elain.

Elain narrowed her eyes at him. “How was I supposed to know that?”

Azriel ignored her and tried to get up. “I need to call Rhysand. He’ll know what to do and get me to a doctor.” He doubled over in pain and that’s when Elain noticed the gaping wound in his back, gushing more blood than the gunshot wound. She gasped in surprise and pushed him down. 

“By the time that happens you’ll have bled to death. Let me fix you.” She started rummaging through the kit to find a Rampley and cotton. When she didn’t hear anything in return, she turned around to find Azriel passed out on the table. She quickly checked his pulse to find it slow, but there. 

She decided to not go searching for Hydrogen Peroxide and doused the pieces of cotton in alcohol hoping it would not cause sepsis. She decided to pay attention to the wound in his back first as it was still bleeding. 

She managed to stitch the wound and bandage it before moving on his arm. She wiped it clean and used a pair of travers to keep the wound open, checking if there was a bullet still present inside, as there was no exit wound. Luckily, it wasn’t embedded deeply and she easily removed it. However, she found it to be slightly purplish in color, causing her to frown. She glanced at the bullet and found it laced with some substance. Her eyes widened and she quickly took an injection and extracted as much as she could from his blood.

Elain cleaned the wound properly, knowing he would need to visit an actual hospital soon. She stitched close the wound and cleaned away all the excess blood, placing a bandage over it. 

She checked Azriel’s pulse once again and found it returning to normal. She finally felt as if she could breathe properly. 

Elain grabbed Azriel’s phone from his pocket and took a swig from the bottle of Absolut kept beside her. She used his face ID to unlock it and called Rhys. 

When he picked up after a while, she slumped down against the table. “Get here quickly, and get me a proper surgical kit. With blood bags.”

She cut the call and glanced at her hands, covered in blood. She ignored them as she covered her face with them and started sobbing. 

~~~~~

Elain stayed on the floor until she heard the doorbell ring. She quickly wiped her face and rushed to the door, opening it to find Rhysand standing there, worry etched into his face. 

He rushed inside, motioning to someone outside to come inside. Then a group of men came along with multiple iceboxes and cardboard boxes. “Everything you need to set up a surgical station.” He pointed to each box that was labeled. 

She moved around looking inside the icebox to find multiple blood bags, each box holding a different blood group. “Did you raid a hospital or a vampire den?” 

Rhys scoffed. “Had this in storage in case we needed to set up in a remote place. Usually, our resident doctor handles these kinds of things.”

Elain shook her head and asked the men to help her set up important equipment like an ECG machine and IV stand. “Should we set him up in the room?” She inquired. 

Rhys just shrugged in response. “You’re the boss.” 

“What’s going on?” Lucien’s voice came from the stairway. 

Elain turned towards him and rushed to him quickly, once again breaking down. Lucien quickly hugged her, glancing at the table, and understood. He patted her back and shushed her. He grasped her shoulders tightly and shook her. “You see this every day at work. Go into Doctor mode, okay? You can do this.” She glanced at him and nodded, knowing she had to control her emotions. 

She set her shoulders firmly and instructed the men to help her set up everything in Azriel’s room. 

She could cry after she was sure Azriel was fine.

~~~~~

AN: I have a feeling I overdid the surgical process. Well. Hope you liked it!

Next Chapter on 10th Feb.

#elriel #elriel fic #one last time #elain archeron #azriel #elain x azriel #azriel x elain #gangster au #acotar au #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #feyre archeron #rhysand #nesta archeron #cassian

[serenaberngraves]

A freelance artist by day and aspiring author by night, I’m so proud to share my writing journey with Tumblr! I write fantasy and dabble in fantasy romance. But I mainly complain post about the writing process and share ideas and resources.

I started up this blog because I want to connect with the writing and reading community. Y’all are full of passion, creativity, curiosity, and so many more wonderful traits that I would love to take part in :)

Main Blog: Ariessya (“serenaberngraves” won’t show up in your notifs or followers)

WIPs

Untitled — Fantasy — [still working on a summary] (Active)

Origami Souls — Slow-burn, Hurt/Comfort, Friends-to-Lovers The Legend of Drizzt fanfic. (AO3 || In Progress || 50k+ words || Original Female Character x Drizzt Do’Urden) (Active)

iHOWL (In The Halls Of The Wolf Lord) — Fantasy Romance — A story about overcoming the rifts of war. With werewolves. (Inactive)

Tags I use (inconsistently):

origami souls — fanfic thoughts and updates

iHOWL journey — whatever’s on my mind re: iHOWL

prompt — quick little writing exercises that aren’t (necessarily) part of the manuscript

tips — writing and storytelling advice

showcase — stuff I like from other writers or artists that inspire me

ask game — the original prompts and/or their answers (I love ask games!)

misc — anything else like memes, shitposts, or #relatable

My inbox is always open! x

[nokingsonlyfooles]

WTYP: The Shandor Building, Part 3

[Do you like the colour of the fanfic? This is long and if you expand it you're gonna get the whole thing, because Tumblr hates you. Don't say I didn't warn you!]

Part 1, Part 2

Part 3: An Offer They Couldn't Refuse...

[Beware of strong language, mention of all kinds of death, gore, and Lovecraftian horror.]

[SLIDE:Shandor Studios, with gargoyles.]

A: I’m sorry. Force of habit. [sniff, sigh] So — guess who designed this very studio in which we are recording this episode today?

R: Louis Sullivan. [laugh] I hope.

L: Snoopy.

A: This is the last known surviving Shandor building. And, therefore, the only one that has not burned down under mysterious circumstances, been destroyed by the health department, or disintegrated after summoning a dark god. So, naturally, when they offered to let us record here, I just couldn’t say no!

R: Yeah, that wasn’t really an option.

L: Scared the crap out of me.

R: How did they, uh, “offer” to let us record here?

A: Oh, they texted me.

R: Oh.

A: Now, somebody did peg the phone through my window at three o’clock in the morning, and it didn’t have a SIM card, or even a battery. But it got texts, funnily enough. And I think, possibly, the voices of the damned…?

L: Does it have selenium in it?

A: Possibly…

D [text over slide]: A PORTAL TO A FROZEN WHITE HELL DIMENSION OPENED IN MY REFRIGERATOR AND SCREAMED, “IVO SHANDOR BONUS EPISODE!”  BUT IT CHILLED MY BEER SUPER FAST, AND YOU COULDN’T HEAR THE SCREAMING WITH THE DOOR CLOSED, SO I DIDN’T MIND.

R: Yeah, I don’t know if that’s anything to do with the selenium. Could be more of a dimensional rift. My cats started talking to me in Ancient Sumerian.

L [charmed]: Aww.

A: What did they say?

R: No idea. Couldn’t find a translator.

A: That’s a shame.

R: [laugh] Probably complaining about how I never feed them, like usual.

A: What about you, Liam? Anything weird?

L: My van blew up.

[Postproduction overlay image of Liam’s Van, captioned: Liam’s Van]

A [laughing]: That’s normal, isn’t it?

R: Yeah, that’s just Tuesday.

L: You know, it would be, except then it reformed itself into kind of a chariot-thing…? With a human-headed bull pulling it. It has wings. The human-headed bull has wings. It kicks ass. I named him Gandalf. That’s a good name for anything with a beard.

A: I like Sir Ian McKellen.

L: As a name for something with a beard?

A: Yes, but I also just like him.

L: Ian McKellen doesn’t need a beard, he’s out and proud!

R: Sounds like a lamassu.

L: Is that a Nissan model? What kinda van is that?

[Postproduction overlay image of a lamassu, captioned: Liam’s New Van.]

R: Nah, it’s an ancient Sumerian mythological beast.

L: Well, I rode one here, so it ain’t exactly ancient or mythological, bub.

D [text over slide]: I RODE THERE ON THE MEAT TRAIN WITH ROCZ. A RAVEN FOLLOWED ME HOME.

A [contemplatively]: Gozer Wireless. Do either of you know Gozer Wireless?

L: At least it’s not Verizon.

R: Is that one of those new iPhones?

A: Yes. Much like Liam’s new van, it kicks ass. Except for the voices of the damned exhorting me to do this podcast.

L: Check the settings.

R: Yeah, you can prolly turn that off.

L: Bet it’s a slider.

R: “More haunted, less haunted.”

A: Under “System Alerts”…? Oh, here we go, “Eternal Damnation.” [slight pause] No, it’s just a blood-red screen that says “Hail Gozer the Gozerian.” Ugh. My purse is an engineering disaster. Is this hand sanitizer or slime…?

Part 4

#wtyp #well there's your problem #ghostbusters #long reads #fanfic #fanfiction #crossover fic #gozer the gozerian #alice caldwell-kelly #liam anderson #justin roczniak #devon #engineering disasters #podcast

[nausikaaa]

WIP Wednesday

thanks for all the tags the past few weeks @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @facewithoutheart @forabeatofadrum @martsonmars @confused-bi-queer @ivelovedhimthroughworse and @takitalks!

it would seem nanowrimo really wiped me out, because i’ve barely had the motivation to write almost anything since. but then our of nowhere i was struck with an idea for ANOTHER original story.

more info below the cut because as usual i ended up rambling

so, the new story is also about greek mythology, and my favourite Trojan twins Cassandra and Helenus, but it’s a short story told through letters from Helenus to Cassandra, going on past her death as he continues to write to her whenever something significant happens in his life. the Trojans technically didn’t have written language, but i am clearly taking liberties.

the story will span their childhood, the rift that develops between them when Cassandra spurns Apollo and is cursed while Helenus accepts his advances and is blessed, their lives during the war, Helenus’s capture and torture at the hands of the Greeks, and then his life after the war as he rises from a slave to a king and father of dynasties. seriously, Helenus is so overlooked, most people who aren’t that into the myths have never even heard of him, yet he’s over here outlasting everyone and marrying both Hector and Achilles’s widows! his grandson goes off and founds FRANCE.

so anyway, in a haze of inspiration when i was supposed to be trying to sleep, i grabbed my phone in the dark and wrote my idea for an epilogue, a single letter from Cassandra in reply, written from the Underworld. here’s it in full, it’s not too long:

Helenus,

You once told me you could see not only through time, but through space also. While we could both see the outcomes of the future, you could see the present across the sea, to far distant lands. A rare gift I am glad I did not possess. It would only tire me out.

Perhaps you can see the present in other realms as well. Perhaps you can see me now, through whatever veil or crust of earth separates the living from the dead. Don’t look at my face. Watch my hands. You wouldn’t believe the deals I had to make to get my hands on paper and ink down here.

For all I exaggerate, Asphodel is not so bad. There are no more visions to plague me, and the wound barely stings. Stop staring at it. I know you are. Pay attention.

It’s mostly just very grey down here. Mist hangs in the air, white flowers bloom underfoot, and shades chatter about you, but it’s easy enough to find a quiet spot and be left to your memories if you wish.

My memories... Brother, I saw your future whenever I looked at you. So much suffering, but so much joy, too. I got your letters. I watched you write them through your eyes, that last time we saw each other, before fate took me to my death and you to a new life.

It took some time to figure out the order they were written in, but time is what the dead have an abundance of. It passes differently here, thick as molasses yet fast as a sparrow, but don’t worry about that. Just take each day as it comes. You’ll look very regal as an old man, and your children will make you proud.

Speaking of your children, I’m flattered you chose to name your daughter after me. I don’t know why I was surprised, you always were sentimental.

I won’t keep you any longer. Give Andromache my love. I look forward to seeing you again.

Cassandra.

#wip wednesday #greek myths #trojan war #the iliad #helenus of troy #cassandra of troy

[moonlayl]

Thing is: ms marvel has a lot of cool ideas and a story with a lot of potential.

And, when it comes to including culture, based on what Pakistani fans have been saying, the creators do a really good job, and it is SO good that the show brought attention to the partition and the role the British played in it. And so many things, like the wedding scene, the inclusion of Eid, and the mosque scenes, were so amazing to watch!

But, aside from those few really good things, the show is a mess. The pacing is off. The characters don’t feel real at all. “well they’re fiction! Ofc they’re not real” yeah but everything is off. Sure it’s fiction, but I’m still supposed to get the impression that these characters are ACTUALLY going through whatever it is they’re going through. Except it doesn’t feel like that at all. These characters all seem dead inside.

Anything happens, and every reaction lacks emotional depth. Waleed is literally murdered and Kamala’s tone makes it sound like she’s just upset that she got a question wrong on a test, or something.

Najma literally murders Aisha in cold blood and abandons her own child, and has no problem attempting to murder a bunch of minors, yet two words from Kamala (that were said without any proper emotional expressions or tone) suddenly makes her go “okay, I’ll sacrifice myself to close the rift” like, what?

Kamala has spent the entire show dragging every word she says, and never having any appropriate responses to anything. I know it’s due to the fact that Iman is inexperienced and new to acting, but it doesn’t make it any less irritating. She does not sound like an actual human being going through insane crap and discovering more and more new world shattering information each episode. It feels like I’m watching a middle school play, in terms of Iman’s acting. Which, is understandable, given Iman’s age, except it’s not just one or two scenes. It’s every scene she’s in and it’s just…annoying after a while.

And her mother, Muneeba? Like sorry, most people aren’t that passive when they think their daughter literally ruined a wedding! Or snuck out of the house and lied for several hours. Or has freaking superpowers and is surrounded by unconscious bodies (and I’m pretty sure also corpses?)

And then we get Kamran, who was willing to go against his family for Kamala literally like a week after meeting Kamala, and he somehow already likes her. Sure, if his mom is completely in the wrong it can happen, but the pacing for that was too weird. Even, Najma. She finds out Kamala just wants a little bit of time, and decides she’s not okay with that and is down for murder 4 seconds later? After a morning of being patient? And Kamran never noticed anything off about his mother in all his years? A woman who can change her mind THAT quickly and be two faced couldn’t have hidden it from her own son for 17 years!

And Kareem! They massacred my boy. He and Kamala did not have nearly enough time to form a bond. He was practically emotionless over Waleed’s death. Kamala asks him if he’s going to be okay, almost as an afterthought.

“Oh by the way, your parental figure WAS just murdered 30 minutes ago…you good?”

Kareem says “he [Waleed] would’ve been proud of you” THE GUY KNEW HER ALL OF 2 SECONDS. COME ON!!

There was too much going on and they tried to shove too much of different parts from the comics (while ignoring the actual context of those storylines) in this 6 episode show, while not giving ANYTHING appropriate screentime.

They also tried hard to connect everything through the bangle and the clandestines, except the writing felt weak. It feels like the main plot was just rushed, because wholesome moments and culture was prioritized (which wouldn’t have been a problem at all, it’s actually a really good thing, if this wasn’t an origin story, AND if the pacing was any good AND if everything connected without feeling like a giant nonsensical mess)

I love the show for the representation (even if I have a LOT of criticism, like how they erased Muneeba being a hijabi, messed up Nakia, even made her half white IN THE SHOW) and I’m definitely rewatching all those scenes about Pakistan and the wedding (and reblogging gifs!!!) but ASIDE from representation, the plot is not strong, it’s too messy, it’s doesn’t feel like the characters have good motives, or even emotions…

And I KNOW people are going to say “well you CAN form a bond with someone over a short period of time” or “some people ARE passive in real life”

But see the thing is, while those two statements are true, it’s only no longer irritating to watch if it’s written in a way that makes sense. If it’s well done. But thats not the case! Her scenes with ANY character are weird. It doesn’t feel like they know each other, or actually care, or are close.

And the “passiveness” is just bad acting. Call it what it is. You can absolutely love a show without defending its super obvious flaws.

I also know people are going to point out the target audience, except what IS the target audience? Because if the answer isn’t “actual ten year olds” than everything I’ve said is valid. My twelve year old female cousin who I made sure not to say anything critical to, as she watched, came up to me and literally asked “why are they talking like that? It all feels fake. Why isn’t she reacting?”

I watched turning red, and absolutely loved it, despite the target audience being for younger girls. But it worked. The plot was good. The reactions and emotions were good. It wasn’t rushed. I loved the “cringe”. I welcomed it with open arms. But it wasn’t done well in the Ms. Marvel show.

This show had such great potential, but it was just executed badly, and it has a lot of flaws, and I’m SICK of either people hating it from the beginning without giving it any chance at all, and absolutely refusing to acknowledge any positives, or of people acting like this is the best show ever created and absolutely refusing to accept any criticism or acknowledge any flaws.

(Last thing: Kamala being the one to create the trail of stars that saved Sana and reunited her with her dad, was super cute, and is definitely a positive. I do love Kamala’s character in the comics and I do love what the show tried to do, even if it wasn’t done too well)

#ms marvel #ms marvel spoilers #kamala khan #marvel #mcu critical #anti mcu #anti ms marvel